Results (
Thai) 2:
[Copy]Copied!
We designed and engineered mitochondrially targeted obligate
heterodimeric zinc finger nucleases (mtZFNs) for site-specific elimination
of pathogenic human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). We
used mtZFNs to target and cleave mtDNA harbouring the
m.8993T>G point mutation associated with neuropathy, ataxia,
retinitis pigmentosa (NARP) and the common deletion (CD), a
4977-bp repeat-flanked deletion associated with adult-onset
chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia and, less frequently,
Kearns-Sayre and Pearsons marrow pancreas syndromes. Expression
of mtZFNs led to a reduction in mutant mtDNA haplotype
load, and subsequent repopulation of wild-type mtDNA restored
mitochondrial respiratory function in a CD cybrid cell model. This
study constitutes proof-of-principle that, through heteroplasmy
manipulation, delivery of site-specific nuclease activity to mitochondria
can alleviate a severe biochemical phenotype in primary
mitochondrial disease arising from deleted mtDNA species.
Being translated, please wait..
